Per Ditlef Fredriksen

Per Ditlef Fredriksen is a Professor of Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology, Conservation and History (IAKH) at the University of Oslo, where he has held progressively senior positions since 2008. He currently leads the ARCREATE project (2023-28), funded by the Research Council of Norway, and serves as the leader of Dialogues with the Past, the Nordic research school in archaeology. Fredriksen helped establish the Oslo School of Environmental Humanities and The Heritage Experience Initiative at UiO. His international affiliations include Life Member status at Clare Hall College, University of Cambridge, and a Research Associate position at the Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town.

Fredriksen earned his PhD in Archaeology from the University of Bergen in 2009, following his Major in Archaeology from the same institution in 2002. His academic progression at UiO includes Lecturer (2008), Senior Lecturer (2009-10), Associate Professor (2010-16), and Professor (2016-present), with leadership roles as Head of the Archaeology Department (2013-16) and Research Director (2017, 2021-24).

His research focuses on contemporary archaeology and historical archaeology in southern Africa, Iron Age studies, and critical cultural heritage research in the Nordic countries. Core themes include knowledge systems encounters, technology and 'craftscapes', memory studies, human/thing relations, mobility and translocality, and archaeological theory development. His fieldwork spans Norway, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, and Botswana, often involving collaboration with artisans and anthropological approaches.

Fredriksen's publication record reveals a consistent focus on ceramic studies across diverse temporal and geographical contexts, examining how material culture reflects social dynamics during periods of change. His work bridges Scandinavian and African archaeological traditions, with particular emphasis on creative knowledge production during turbulent times, as evidenced by his current ARCREATE project.

He leads multiple significant research initiatives including Reinvigorating Scandinavian Research in African Archaeology and projects examining historical ecology in southern Africa. His service includes membership on the evaluation panel for the Endangered Material Knowledges Programme and the preparatory group for the Swedish Research Council's history and archaeology division.